The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1887-01-01
WHY HE QUIT.
An Engineec Gives His Reason for
Not Swearing.

''Strikes me you select your adjec-
tives with uncommon neatness," said
the commercial traveller, cycling the
stalwart engineer who stood regard
ing his locomotive with lover-like at
tention.
Several men stood near. but physic-
ally the finest specimen of them all
was the powerful fellow who was cast
ing shrewd chances along the different
parts of the huge machine at the same
time that he answered intelligently
numerous questions put to him by the
commercial traveller. The mans speech
was crude, not entirely correct, but
utterly free from any thing like pro-
family. To the remark just quoted he
answered briefly:
Hope 1 make myself understood,
stranger. -
''Oh, yes" said the traveller, an
alert, quick-spoken man; 81 only
notice an absence of language more
emphatic than choice, that men of your
calling are usually master hands at en-
ploying."
81 used to swear roundly enough
once, but 1 quit'' said the engineer;
and suddenly thrusting his firm chin
into the air, and folding his arms, he
drewup his eyes and gazed with kind
of condensed look away off, but saw
nothing in particular.
The commercial traveller had dropped
his bantering tone the next time he
spoke.
''That's fine locomotive you have
charge of. / suppose you feel some
thing akin to affection for it.
"Fine!" said the engineer, coming
out of his trance. "Well, there she
stands and speaks for herself. Take a
look al her. Imind me there amt a
mass o. machinery in the country kept
brighter than that. Doesn't the boiler
shine most fit to blind youP l tell you
she's perfect way through. There
amt spring nor valve, rod nor
shaft nor nut, there amt bolt, pipe
or slide, or box or any kind o. gear as
could be kept in better order than is
hers!'
Love herP Well, / should say so,
It's been my hand as has held the
lever DER her throttle valve for nigh
onto fifteen years, my own right hand
And she's done my biddin' like a will
in child; aye, and once she served
me well, and drove for herself when
it wasn't my hand as was DER the
throttle valve. 1t were stronger one
than mine that time, and she minded
my dumb wishes when | we're helpless
to move, and could only cry out in be-
wildered pain.
The group of men in various at
titudes, of which they were for the
moment unconscious, listened with
absorbed interest to the fascinating
speech of the handsome giant, who
seemed merely addressing the COM
mereial traveller.
''You notice an absence of violent
adiectives,' you call them in my
language. Well, when get crazy
and don't have any sort O. control DER
my tongue, may take the solemn name
o God in vain again, but l don t
much believe | ever shall before that
time.
"You see''-he thrust his chin out
again and drew up his fine eyes as
IL Is
though this time he fixed his gaze on
the Travellers face-''You see, / never
had but one child, but that was enough
considering the kind; just as fine lit
tie chap as ever drew the breath o. life.
When he was five years old and began
his schoolin', he shot ahead o. the other
children in way that surprised even
his mother and me. My wife kept
tellin' me all those days that oughteT
quit swearin'. never was one to
drink strong drink, but l know that
when it come to rollin' out strong
oaths, there wasn't a man on the road
could beat me. And the worst of il
was l knew twas shameful wrong;
knew it from my mothers teachin' s
when were boy.
well, wife. she kept on worryin'
but l was kinder stubborn, even when
saw that dear child listenin' to my
rough words. and one mornin' wife
saws in kind o discouraged way: I'm
fraid God will take vengeance on you
some time or other, if you keep OF
usin' His name so free and defiant like
and ! couldn't a-told why to a-saveC
my life, but l kept thinking of wife'i